Thomas Tuchel has been confirmed as the new England head coach by the FA.
The German – who becomes the Three Lions’ third foreign coach after Sven-Goran Eriksson and Fabio Capello – signed his contract on October 8 and will start work on January 1.
Tuchel will be assisted by English coach Anthony Barry, who worked with him at Chelsea and Bayern Munich.
Lee Carsley will remain in interim charge of the senior team during the November international break for games against Greece and the Republic of Ireland, before returning to his previous post as U21s manager.
“I am sorry that I have a German passport,” said Tuchel in his first press conference as head coach. “All of these supporters felt my passion for the Premier League and the country. I loved to live here.
“Hopefully I can show them [the fans] that I am proud to be the English manager and I will do everything to show respect to this job and this country.
“I am very emotional and I love what I am doing. I am passionate about football. This role just brought the young me alive and brought back my teenage days, to get excited for such a big task.”
The German boasts considerable elite-level experience having led Chelsea to Champions League glory in 2021 and also taken charge of Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich.
FA chief executive Mark Bullingham confirmed Tuchel was one of 10 candidates considered to be Gareth Southgate’s full-time replacement, with some English coaches considered in that pool.
“We ran a really clear process and spoke with approximately 10 people throughout the process,” said Bullingham.
“Some were more up for it than others, but we are really happy with Thomas and it gives us the best chance of winning the next World Cup.”
Who is new England assistant Barry?
Liverpudlian Barry first met Tuchel when the German joined Chelsea in 2021, having already been at the club working under Frank Lampard.
He is widely regarded as one of the most promising upcoming English coaches and while he was at Chelsea, several Championship sides considered making him their manager.
At Chelsea, Barry undoubtedly made an impact under Tuchel – so much so that he stepped in as Chelsea caretaker boss when the German had Covid-19.
Barry then joined Tuchel’s backroom staff at Bayern Munich. and also held assistant manager roles with the Republic of Ireland, while he was also Roberto Martinez’s No 2 in the Belgium and Portugal national team set-ups.
Tuchel has credited Barry for the quality of his analysis, as well as his personality and drilling on the training pitch, and Barry is also known to be a set-piece specialist.
Speaking after being appointed England assistant coach, Barry said in a statement: “For any Englishman in football, working with the national team is the pinnacle and I didn’t hesitate when Thomas asked me to come and join him again.
“I know what a great place St George’s Park is and how much of an advantage it gives our England teams, and the support it gives to coaches.
“This squad is very talented and have done so much to bring the country together, I look forward to meeting and working with them on this exciting project.”
Should England manager be an English coach?
Sky Sports’ Gary Neville:
“They’ve got a great coach, there is no doubt about that. Thomas Tuchel has a proven track record. From that point of view, the FA can’t be criticised.
“They probably got the best available coach in the world at this moment in time. Fitting that criteria they are absolutely spot on.
“I am not sure it meets the criteria of St George’s Park and the belief in English coaches and the growth in the English team’s performances over the last few years.
“Not just the men’s, but the women’s and the youth teams as well. St George’s Park was going to be a hot bed of proving that English coaches could get back to the top of European football.
“That is proving to be very difficult. It’s difficult for English coaches to get the top jobs in the Premier League and rightly so we have some of the best clubs in the world.
“But the England job has now gone to an international coach and – it is not really about Thomas Tuchel but – there is an element of disappointment in my head.”
Is Tuchel the right fit for England?
Sky Sports’ Peter Smith:
It’s hard to imagine a more strenuous set of off-field circumstances for a football manager to have to cope with than those he faced at Chelsea but the German repeatedly brought honesty, integrity and personality to his press conferences during his time at Stamford Bridge. It was admirable leadership in the most trying of circumstances.
The credit to Tuchel is that, when he was sacked by Todd Boehly and co in September 2022 his reputation was enhanced, both in terms of his work as a coach and as a figurehead for a football club.
With his additional high-profile experiences at Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain and most recently Bayern Munich, there can be few managers who know better how to deal with the microscopic analysis made of operators at the very top end of world football and the challenges they face.
The England role is perhaps the most intensely scrutinised of them all – but there can be few coaches better prepared for that element of the job.
Read Peter Smith’s feature in full here
Could Tuchel reignite Kane’s England career?
Sky Sports’ Sam Blitz:
“Thomas Tuchel has a wide-ranging CV and is one of Europe’s most experienced managers. But a crucial factor in him getting the England job is his relationship with Harry Kane.
“The England captain is the Three Lions’ all-time record goalscorer with 68 goals but is currently playing below his usual standards.
“Kane has been substituted in each of his last seven England appearances – including a pretty limp display in the Euro 2024 final, where questions were raised about his fitness levels.
“What better way to reignite Kane’s international career by bringing in the statistically best coach of his club career, from a goalscoring perspective?
“At Bayern Munich, Kane scored 44 goals in 45 matches under Tuchel, which came to a goal every 89 minutes – the England captain was pretty much guaranteed to be on the scoresheet every game.
“The 2-1 home defeat to Greece, which Kane sat out due to injury, also shone a light on what England could look like after Kane has gone. The Three Lions were not only poor in attack but in creativity too – they had just two shots on target.
“Tuchel has not been completely perfect when it comes to Kane. He infamously took the England captain off with Bayern leading 1-0 at Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-final due to back complaints. Moments after Kane came off, Real Madrid scored twice to win 2-1, with Bayern’s best striker on the bench in response.
“But for all the potential controversy that could arise from Tuchel’s arrival at England, the nation’s most important player could be getting a big boost.”